Leeds Rhinos coach Rohan Smith said being able to share a day with Rob Burrow and his family made the Magic Weekend win over Castleford all the sweeter.
As the 39-year-old club legend battles motor neurone disease, his children Macy, Maya and Jackson designed the shirt worn by Smith’s side for their 34-20 victory over the Tigers, who also wore a special kit to raise money for research into the condition.
Burrow was diagnosed in December 2019, and Smith said: “I listened to his book on audio and it’s clear to see that Rob was a big part of what has happened at the club.
“To share the day with the family meant a lot to the whole club. We spoke about it during the week.
“We had the pleasure of the family coming to speak to us before the game and his girls spoke about the making of the shirt and design.
“That was special for all of us and I like to think we’ve done the family proud.”
It was Leeds’ second successive win and their fourth in seven since Smith’s arrival from Queensland Cup side Norths Devils.
“I really liked how we played,” he said.
“We were tough when we needed to and found a few points on the back of carrying hard. I thought our discipline and composure were particularly good.
“I think it was a pretty solid team performance and we played some pretty good stuff. We talked about rolling our sleeves up and it was a good hard battle in the first half.
“In the second half, we were really direct and that opened up some opportunities for us.”
Leeds take on Toulouse in France on Saturday, and Smith added: “There is still plenty to work on.”
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